(Online) marketing is an enormously broad field. An immense number of disciplines intertwine and at best result in highly beneficial (alternating) effects for customer acquisition and customer loyalty. For maximum success, it is extremely important to have your own target group and their needs or challenges - which can probably be solved with the company's own services - centrally in mind.
If it is possible to address the requirements of (potential) customers as fully as possible in marketing at every point in their customer journey, numerous deals are virtually certain. As a result, the probability that consumers will use the corresponding goods or services again and again increases significantly. In this customer loyalty or consumer orientation, the factors of transparency, authenticity, credibility, value propositions and, last but not least, emotions (yes, even for B2B companies) often play a decisive role in success - whether they are transmitted unconsciously or forced consciously.
Through the active introduction of these, customer confidence is once again increased, ideally an emotional connection to the brand is created and ultimately a significant increase in conversion rates. These processes and methods are referred to as Purpose Driven Marketing or Value Driven Marketing.
What does Purpose Driven Marketing or Value Driven Marketing mean?
Behind both terms are basically the same facts, whereby "Value Driven Marketing" makes these even more clear in a direct translation into German than "Purpose Driven Marketing". Nevertheless, the latter term is much more widespread. Freely, Purpose Driven Marketing can be translated as "value driven marketing". The term "purpose" does mean "purpose" in German, which means that the translation "purpose-driven marketing" is also basically correct. However, the purpose can easily be interpreted in the direction of turnover or profit increase - and a marketing-related consideration of these factors would of course be of little benefit to customer trust.
Rather, the purpose here stands for the meaning- and value-specific "why". This makes it clear why "value-driven marketing" is actually the more accurate description. It is, by and large, about making it clear to the consumer of the goods or services offered in each case and of the brand as a whole to the general public. In the course of this, in addition to the so-called corporate social responsibility and other values, customer transparency, authenticity, credibility and emotions are also optimally conveyed. Consequently, a company is - simply put - perceived as more tangible, more personal and closer, which can ultimately lead to an emotional bond with the brand among customers. In fact, this only works if the purpose of the company is reflected in a differentiated way. Close relatives of Purpose Driven Marketing are Brand Marketing and Brand Building.
The increased relevance of Purpose Driven Marketing can be explained by a change that has been taking place in society for some time, in the course of which consumers are increasingly questioning the meaning of everyday processes. This development is particularly noticeable in the business world for B2C companies and there in the choice of products or services that convey sustainability. It is also a major issue in the choice of career, where increasing emphasis is being placed on socially important activities.
Corresponding attitudes are automatically transferred to processes for B2B companies through their practical ubiquity. Ecological and social issues as well as the personal consideration of one's own views, challenges and/or needs are very high on the business agenda today. Thus, these aspects should also have a firm place in marketing. In general, it is about values, attitude and individuality. However, it is by no means sufficient to artificially formulate appropriate courses of action on the basis of one's own business interests or the sales potential that tends to increase significantly as a result. If such an implementation takes place, consumers will very quickly expose it. Authenticity must not only seem to be given, it is actually - in itself - one of the central keys to successful Purpose Driven Marketing.
Only those who authentically represent their values and, moreover, deal with their prospects accordingly and personally, get the maximum out of customer loyalty. This way, (potential) customers are addressed very directly and, at best, even on an emotional level. This, in turn, fosters a close relationship with the respective brand, which makes it especially likely that the consumers in question will not only repeatedly decide in favor of the company's services, but will also actively continue to promote them.
Now the B2B sector is indeed generally less receptive to values, emotions, etc.. Rational decision-making patterns are the rule. Nevertheless, Purpose Driven Marketing can make the difference here in particular.
In many industries, the competition is enormous. Companies must constantly be on their toes to keep up with competitors' new or expanded products, be they goods or services. However, in their battles over functionality and other competitive factors, it is not uncommon for these companies to lose sight of the real challenges or needs of their (eventual) customers. In the worst case scenario, the result is products that offer everything the competition does, but are simply too much of a good thing for the target group and do not reflect the company's own brand and authenticity.
In such a market, companies that act precisely with regard to the requirements of their customers and rely on Purpose Driven Marketing are in fact particularly distinguished.
How can Purpose Driven Marketing work in practice?
In order to successfully establish Purpose Driven Marketing in a company, the following question must first be answered: What is the original meaning and purpose of the company's services for (potential) customers?
The point of switching completely from the provider to the demand perspective is actually not only highly important in the context of this marketing approach, but should also take a central position in every measure of digital customer acquisition and retention today. To most companies, it appears easy to fulfill this requirement. Unfortunately, however, in doing so many fall back into more or less flat advertising patterns that have been consolidated over decades.
Two of the most promising concrete communication measures of purpose-driven marketing for a brand are influencers and social media. Both marketing channels or strategies are ideal vehicles for effectively conveying values, transparency, authenticity, credibility and emotion because of their fundamentally direct, personal and almost private aura.
But there are stumbling blocks here, too. After all, engaged influencers represent their own interests first of all - and if these are obviously aloof from the purpose of the promoted company services for (potential) customers, this will have a highly negative impact on their buying process. It's a very similar story with social networks. Here, too, brand marketers should only choose channels and likewise content formats that optimally complement the respective company and customer attitudes.
In the ideal case, Purpose Driven Marketing is of course not only implemented in selective measures, but also shows itself in the complete external as well as internal actions of the company. Only in this way can its potential be fully exploited.
